Zebra trio sunset silhouette

[Marc Mol]

Watched on by a night roosting Secretary Bird.
I wasn't quite sure exactly where to submit this posting, as it could go in Avian, Landscape OR here. Anyway, Wildlife it is.
Colour cast should be OK this time:o:o:o

D3s 500VR 1/2500s ISO1600@F/2.8 Masai Mara Oct 2010

C & C most welcome

Cheers
Marc

[Harshad Barve]

this is insanely beautiful , clap , clap , clap
TFS

[Steve Kaluski]

Bit of a blue cast at the top Marc, LOL. :D:D

Just wonder if a pano crop with perhaps a third of the black at the foot? Certainly vibrant. :cool:

Steve

[Geoff Warnock]

very powerful image, nice work.

[peter delaney]

Marc
really well thought out composition.... my only wish is for one of the zebras to look up...

well done

peter

[Marc Mol]

Thanks for the comments guys.
Just realised I have a 500 f/2,8 WOW!!:D
Techs should be D3s 70-200VRII 1/2500s f/2.8 ISO1600@150mm


Marc
really well thought out composition.... my only wish is for one of the zebras to look up...

well done

peter

Mine too Peter :)



Just wonder if a pano crop with perhaps a third of the black at the foot?

Steve

Something akin to this?




Cheers
Marc

[Ken Watkins]

Marc,

Repost is much better.

[Stu Bowie]

Marc, an opportunity well used. Wonderful setting here. Comp wise, regarding the bottom - maybe halfway between your two posts.

[Marina Scarr]

The minute I saw this thumbnail, I was impressed. The colors are spectacular and how wonderful that you got the bird and the zebras silhouetted here. The blue and the yellow against each other just makes this POP.

I agree with somewhere between the two post. I prefer the second post. I think I would add a tad more ground and take off more sky to keep it in pano format. The pano format really gives it more punch!

Marina

[Rachel Hollander]

Marc - Beautiful and I agree with Marina that maybe somewhere in between and closer to a pano would work well.

Congrats on a great shot.

TFS,
Rachel

[Robert Amoruso]

Pano is better.

Not sure if this would ever have happened, but besides making this image, I would have waited for raised heads. Even getting them in intervals and then merging later in PS.

[Steve Kaluski]

Well Marc, IMHO I much prefer the repost, as it is more balance to me.

Personally, if you were to wait for the heads to raise then perhaps you may have missed the moment, as I am personally not a real lover of 'comping' shots together, unless it is noted in the posting. :cheers:

TFS
Steve

[Johan Kruger]

very nice! love the color

[Marc Mol]

Appreciate the comments everyone.


I would have waited for raised heads. Even getting them in intervals and then merging later in PS.

I did wait for this to occur Robert, but it was a case of 1 up and 2 down, etc and we were already late back for curfew, so I took them as all 3 heads down for a bit of uniformity.;)

Final submission here:

[Rachel Hollander]

Marc - to me the last one is spot on. Well done.

Rachel

[Morkel Erasmus]

wonderful shot Marc in all respects...

I was going to suggest Steve's crop, but after viewing the repost my personal preference will be for the OP...to my eye it seems more balanced with the black FG matching the blue sky at the top in terms of weight and meeting the rule of thirds nicely in terms of layering. Gorgeous mood and colours all round - as mentioned a head-lift from a zebbie or 2 would have taken this to a whole other level.

Is it my eyes or do the zebra shapes look slightly soft as presented? They were probably further back than the tree? Stopping down the aperture would have helped but I have been in these situations and know that you are often ready for some action with a certain shutter speed and ISO combo and then suddenly you need to make use of a golden moment and don't think twice about settings ;)

[Marc Mol]

Thanks Rachel & Morkel
Cropping can be a very subjective issue at times.



Is it my eyes or do the zebra shapes look slightly soft as presented? They were probably further back than the tree? Stopping down the aperture would have helped but I have been in these situations and know that you are often ready for some action with a certain shutter speed and ISO combo and then suddenly you need to make use of a golden moment and don't think twice about settings ;)

The Zebra were further back than the tree, hence the slight softness, and your correct Morkel, when I looked back here at the techs I thought "you idiot, what were you doing @f2.8!":(

[Hilary Hann]

Marc, this is lovely and I prefer your last crop. What a beautiful vision. Made my day, thank you.